Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 February 2015
453. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to address the 192 applications received, for an intake of 56 infant children, in respect of a school (details supplied) in Dublin 14, for September 2015, thus denying children access to their local school; her Department's efforts to alleviate the problem; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6917/15]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department provided a new 16 classroom school for the school in question in 2012 at a cost of approximately €3.5 million. As the Deputy will appreciate, the question of enrolment in individual schools, including the school in the area concerned, is the responsibility of the managerial authority of the school. There is a responsibility on schools to manage their own enrolment policies to ensure that they operate within the level of accommodation available to them.
The Deputy will be aware that on 5th February last, I announced that seven new primary schools are to be established in the next two years. Four are scheduled to open in 2015 and three will open in 2016. One of the schools to be established in 2016 will cater for demographic demand in the area referred to by the Deputy.
